In the Deep of Night
by SpiritWolf126
Summary: Love isn't easy. It takes work, especially when life starts piling on responsibilities. One fight can either make or break a marriage. Sometimes Chase just has to remember what's important.


Angela sighed as she lowered herself into the comfortable cushions of her couch. A steaming mug of herbal tea was gripped tightly in one hand and the remote to the TV in the other. Despite this, she hesitated to turn the electronic on. Instead she sat in the silence of the room, sipping her tea and listening to the subtle tics of the seconds slipping by. Her eyes wandered to the clock and she scrutinized its face. It was well past ten in the evening and by now she would usually be asleep. Except tonight she couldn't sleep for whatever reason. The house was too silent, her bed too cold, her mind too loud, and her heart too painful.

She had had another fight with Chase earlier that morning. At this point she couldn't even remember what it was about, but it probably had something to do with his late hours. Again. It was a constant source of disagreement for them. Angela wanted him home earlier so they could all eat dinner together, but Chase was comfortable with his hours and late nights. It didn't matter that she and their son, Cody, ate alone at night. It didn't matter that he wasn't there to ask them how their days went, because he's there during lunch and breakfast. But he wasn't there to hear Cody asking where he was every night, when he should be tucking his son into bed with her. He wasn't there to see the disappointment in Cody's eyes as she said that his daddy would be around tomorrow morning. He didn't know.

Their fight had been brief – she had just caught him as he was leaving for work. It hadn't even started as a fight, merely a request that he take a day off later this week to have dinner with them. Was that too much to ask? But maybe it was, because Chase had been exasperated by the request and their conversation had quickly escalated. What started with civil tones and placating words ended with shouting and half-remembered insults. They both said hurtful things – she was too clingy, he was too selfish, she was a lot needier than he remembered, he was more of an ass lately – they'll probably make up in the morning, but the words were still said. You can put bandaids on the wounds, but they'll still take time to heal. Maybe they won't.

Angela contemplated the half-empty mug in her hands. The tea had long since cooled and didn't taste as nice. She sighed and set the cup on the coffee table. The house was silent and still – Cody had gone to be an hour ago after trying to stay up to wait for Chase. He wouldn't have been able to stay up long enough no matter what. Chase rarely ever returned home before two in the morning anymore. She knew because she felt him climbing into bed and wrapping himself around her. Sometimes he would mutter half-heard apologies, not even realizing she was awake to listen. Others he would simply lay there, not sleeping but staring at her for hours. It was a sad reminder of how things used to be, back when they were younger and still dating. Back then she and Chase could lay awake for hours, whispered conversations flowing as easy as water between them. His late hours had hardly bothered her then because she got to see him during the day.

But back then he hadn't been a father, a husband, or responsible for anyone beside himself. Back then they had been two young people in love, but their lives were separate. Today they were supposed to be facing the world as one entity, walking side by side and raising their son as a duo. Lately it felt more and more like she was left alone to raise Cody while Chase simply stopped by when it was convenient for him. His presence in his son's life was token at best. Sometimes he even disappeared before Cody ever got up for the day. On days like those she seriously hated the man she married. Try as she might, Cody's adoration for his father really only hurt him more than it helped. Despite this she continuously encouraged her son to worship his father, because when Chase was being good he was amazing. There were days where he was such a good father she would forget all the days he wasn't. They were the days that reminded her why she fell in love with him to begin with.

"What happened to us, Chase?" Angela whispered sadly into the night.

Chase crept into the house close to three in the morning. He made a point of being as quiet as possible as he closed the door and hung his keys in their place on the wall. His shoes were yanked off and placed by the door, next to the tiny pair of sneakers that Cody adored. Another, dirtier pair of sneakers had been tossed haphazardly beside them. Chase smiled weakly and placed them neatly in line for tomorrow. His mind replayed the snippets of the fight he and Angela had that morning.

"_You're too busy being a selfish, comfortable ass that you can't come home and see your son at night!"_

"_You know what keeps me away, Angela? You! Hell, I don't remember you being this clingy when we got together!"_

He winced as the scathing words whispered through his mind. What had possessed him to say such a thing? He knew Angela had a point – Cody deserved to see him every night, not just some mornings and afternoons – but he hated to admit that he was in the wrong. Ever since he was young he had lived his life according to his own rules. His parents deaths had robbed him of any boundaries and limits to keep him in line. Yolanda tried her best to raise him, but sometimes the best just isn't enough. He had grown up afraid of commitment, afraid of getting too close lest he might lose somebody else important to him.

But meeting Angela had silenced all those fears. Sure it wasn't love at first sight, but the sweet girl with a spine of steel had won him over fairly easily. She won over a lot of guys fairly easily and he still thanks the Goddess every day that she picked him. For whatever reason Angela had decided she loved him and not any of the others. It was both relieving and terrifying for the young chef, who suddenly wasn't sure how to walk forward. He had never been in a relationship before and he was afraid of scaring Angela off. But he should have known better. Angela was patient and kind with him no matter what he did. They had their ups and their downs, but through it all Angela stuck by his side. Now seven years had passed and things were going sour between them. Chase was terrified. Would he lose both the woman he loved and his son?

Chase shook his head and stood. His feet carried him further into the house, into the living room in particular. He was pulling off his apron, intending to throw it on the couch for tomorrow when he caught sight of a dark lump. He paused and listened. The sound of shallow breaths echoed through the dark room. Chase took a few hesitant steps towards the couch and crouched by the end, face to face with his wife of five years. He took note of the frown on her lips and the dark circles under her eyes. Her once creamy skin now looked gray with exhaustion. Her dark hair was less neat than he was used to seeing it, and if he wasn't mistaken there were dried tears on her cheeks.

"Angela," Chase whispered mournfully, "What have I done to you?" He wiped rather uselessly at the dried tears. His fingers trembled. How long had it been since they had been like this? When was the last time they just spent time together, just the two of them? Maybe Angela was right, he was only thinking of himself anymore. There used to be a time when he wouldn't let a day go by without at least holding her for a good twenty minutes. He couldn't consciously summon a memory of even spending the afternoon with her in the past three years.

Angela stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Hazel clashed with violet, and he watched her brows furrow in confusion for a moment.

"Chase?" She whispered. Her voice was dry and thick.

"Yeah," He answered, "It's me."

Angela blinked sleepily and asked, "What time is it?"

"Almost three." He answered without even glancing at the clock.

Angela paused for a moment, her face an unreadable mask. Then she sighed and slumped back against the couch. Chase didn't have the will to be bitter; he didn't even have the will to argue with her.

"Let's go to bed?" He asked.

"Yeah…"

Angela climbed from the couch and grabbed a mug Chase had failed to notice on the coffee table. He followed close behind her as she walked across the living room, stopping briefly in the kitchen to drop the mug into the sink. Then she climbed the stairs, her gait silent on the carpeted steps. Chase stumbled slightly on the last step and was steadied by her hand suddenly appearing on his shoulder. He looked up at her, both surprised and encouraged by her concern, but was disappointed to find her already turning away.

She walked easily down the dark hallway, scooping up toys, books, and shoes that Chase knew he would trip on alone. By the time they reached Cody's room her arms were loaded with childish things, so he took the lead and opened the door for her. She rewarded him with a wan smile, and then she walked into their son's room. Chase followed her in.

Cody was asleep in his bed, holding his stuffed bear in a stranglehold. The curtains above his bed were parted, letting a bright beam of moonlight fall across his peaceful face. Angela moved around the room, putting away toys and clothes in a way only an experienced mother could. Chase stood in the center of the room, uncomfortable but determined not to leave. If there was one thing he was going to change starting tonight, it would be his devotion to his family.

After the last shoe was placed in Cody's closet and the last book tucked onto its shelf, Angela moved to her son's side. She kneeled next to the bed and ran a loving hand through Cody's golden hair. He stirred at the touch and a moment later his eyes opened.

"Mama?" He asked.

Angela smiled gently. "Hey big guy. Sorry I woke you."

"It's okay Mama," Cody murmured sleepily, "Is Daddy home?"

Chase stepped closer to the bed and said, "Right here, Squirt."

Cody smiled despite the yawn that was fighting to escape. In the end he made an expression between a grin and a grimace that resembled a look of pain. Angela giggled and pressed a warm kiss to his forehead saying, "Go back to sleep honey, you'll need energy to help me tomorrow. We're shearing the sheep, remember?"

The smile that appeared on his face could have lit the entire town. Cody kissed his mother's cheek and waved his father closer. Chase indulged his son and leaned over his bed to receive the kiss pressed to his cheek. "Goodnight Mama, goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight, Cody." They answered together.

Angela waited a few moments and then stood. She took Chase's hand and lead him from the room, closing the door behind them quietly. They walked the rest of the way to their room hand in hand, and for a moment it felt like old times. Chase could almost forget that they were parents, that life was harder, and that they still had to make up for their fight. It was like leaping back in time and leaving all responsibility behind. Then they reached their room and Angela let his hand go to get ready for bed. His hand felt empty and cold. He almost wanted to rush after her and grab her hand again, just to make that nice feeling come back.

"Angela?"

Angela paused, her shirt hanging from her hand. "Yes, Chase?" She asked the darkness around her.

Footsteps crossed the room in a few short strides. Suddenly she could feel him at her back, looming over her (he was a good four inches taller than her) and breathing on her neck. His arms appeared around her waist and she was pulled into his lean chest. The scent of oranges lingered in the air.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he kissed her temple.

She stayed quiet, partly because she didn't want to interrupt him, but mostly because she couldn't believe her ears. Chase had _never_ apologized right to her face before. He rarely ever admitted he was wrong, much less take back his words or apologize for them. Chase apologizing was like … well, there wasn't really anything she could compare it to.

"What?" She found herself gasping.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, "I didn't mean what I said earlier."

"Chase…"

He interrupted her. "No, let me finish. Angela, you and Cody mean more to me than anything in the world. I'm sorry that I gave you the impression otherwise. I know I don't have an excuse for how I've behaved, but we both know I'm an ass. I told you when we got married that I'd make mistakes and you'd have to be patient with me. Just … just give me a chance to fix this one, okay?" Angela began to shake in his arms. Chase almost thought she was laughing, until a warm drop landed on his hand. Then he realized she was crying, and he panicked. "Angela? Angela, what's wrong?" He demanded.

A shaky laugh rose from the small woman in his arms. "You're an idiot, Chase." She said thickly.

"…What?"

The small amount of light slipping past their curtains let him see her in the dark. Her eyes were sparkling with tears that left glittering trails on her cheeks. He wiped them away and questioned her silently.

"Chase, I love you." Angela said simply.

"I know," He said, "I love you, too."

"Then why are you acting like I'm leaving you? I knew the moment I married you that we'd have our ups and downs – this is just one of our downs. A very long down, but it's not something we can't climb out of. But you're going to have to make some sacrifices too, you know?"

"Done," He agreed, "What do you want?"

"Your schedule?" Angela asked hopefully.

Chase thought for a moment. Angela watched him anxiously, a breath caught in her throat.

"I… can't change the time I go to work because of the bar's hours." He began slowly. Angela let out her breath in disappointment. "But I can ask Hayden about getting a couple nights a week off – probably Tuesday and Thursday. Kathy can take over my hours, they're our slowest nights."

Angela's smile was bright and beautiful. She kissed him soundly, and then laid her head against his chest. "Thank you, Chase. That's all I wanted."


End file.
